Tool-shifting mechanism for agricultural implements.



C. E. WHlTE.

TOOL SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILE'D NOV. 10, 1910. 1,156,384, Patented 0015.12, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

w vbweoom gwvcnfoz C. E. WHITE.

TOOL SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR AGRICULTURAL IM PLEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10. 1910.

1,156,384, Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m4 C? A W J @650/ MW C. E. WHITE.

TOOL SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-10,1910.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED srarns PATENT orr oiaj I CHARLES l W 0 MOLINE, Li olsfassmnort r0 DEERE & MANsna 00., A

I conromrionorrumors. i r

room at MECHANISM ron AGRICULTURAL ii/irtmvmnrs;

specification of Letters Patent. Patentedflct. 12,1915.

' Application filedNovember i0, 1910. Serial No. 581,647.

To all whom it may concern planters andother agricultural implements which are similar thereto as concerns the frames which adjust and support the tools.

The improvements are particularly applicable to corn .plantersof the hinged frame type, now commonly in use. Each is usually made with a vertically vibratable 'main frame mounted at the axis of two ground wheels around which it vibrates, and a supplemental tool-carry1ng, or runner, frame lllfI'OIlt, ,hingedtothe main frame,

and also .supplementally- Joined thereto by flexible connecting devices The object of. theinvention is to provide an improved foot lever. mechanism, by means of which the driver shall be able to, vibrate,

a as corn planters, it is desirable that the working positions; and to lock them, op- I tionally, in any desired working position; and also release the lockmgmechanlsm at any time; all to be done by means ,ofhis feet, which can remain permanently in posi- I I provide planters with parts supposed to be tion upon the foot rests of thelevers.

For a typical'illustration of a farm implement. embodying my improvements, I

have selected a corn planter, and the several illustrations thereof,or itsparts, are as follows: y

Figure lis a left side elevation with the front frame and planting mechanism in operative position. Fig. 2 is aview similar to that of Fig. 1 but with the planting mechanism raised to inoperative position. Fig.

Referring to the parts of I implement axis of the ground wheels.

relates.

shownin the drawings (which, as stated, is a corn planter, and hereselected for illustration) 3, 4, indicate the bars of a main framefresting on the axle 1. This frame is adapted to vibrate vertically around the axis of the wheels from the position shown in 1g. 1 to. that shown in Fig. 2. Thetoolcarrying frame, in this case aplanter runner frame, comprises the bars 6 and 7, and

cross bars or bracesS, and has the draft tongue 23 rigidly connected thereto. It sup- 7 ports the runners, the seed receptacles 10,

the check head frames 11, and' the tappetactuated mechanism at 16 The tool, or runner, frame is pivotally connected at a transverse horizontal axis to the rear or wheel frame and is also vertically vibratable from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothatshown in Fig. 2. The adiacent parts of the two frames move together vertically, the front or tool frame movingaround an. approximately fixed center atv the neck yoke while the rear frame moves, as stated, around the Thereis also a flexible connection between the frames comprising parts to be referred to below.

In the operating of farm implements.such

driver should be left entirely free to use both hands for the control of theteam, both in driving across the field, in paying attention tothe checking mechanism, in adjusting capable-of attaining these purposes. But I do not at present have knowledge of "any mechanism employed in such implements which permitted the operator to maintain his hands permanently free from leversand enabled him'to efiect all the above movementsof the frames and of the tools, relativelyto each other, by means of his feet, which, respectively, are allowed to remain permanently in, one position as concerns theircontact with the elements ofthe lever system. i

I will now describe the lever mechanism to which this ,invention more particularly It .is important that suitable means be fprovided for; adjusting the planting meehanism to plant at Various depths and for lifting the mechanism to an inoperative position at the ends of the rows, and for the purpose of transporting the machine from place to'place, In planters as usually constructed, this adjustment has been efiected by means of ahand lever, and in some cases, foot levers have been used in connection with the hand lever. In my improved construction, however, the hand lever is entirely omitted, and the frames are controlled entirely by foot levers. .And this foot lever system hasits parts sol arranged that two foot rests, or foot engaging parts, are sufficlent to accomplish allthe deslred ends of raising the tools to their highest inoperative position; locking themthere; lowering them to their lowermost operative position, and locking the frames. together 1n a posltlon corresponding thereto; adjusting the frames to several intermediate operative positions,

and locking them therein respectively, and optionally; all performed without requiring the removal of either foot by the operator from its rest orpedal in the lever system.

As has been previously stated, the front frame of the machine is pivoted at 12 to the side bars 3 of the main wheel frame. The

tongue 23 is rigidly secured to the front.

Vwith laterally and horizontally extending bearing bosses 28 and 29. 30 and 31 are lever arms pivoted respectively on the bosses 28 and. 29. They are held in place bymeans of the through bolt 32. The lever arms 30 and 31 are provided with forward extensions 33 and, 34, betweenwhich isv mounted the bracket 35' Bolts36 pass through the ex tensions 33 and 34 and the bracket 35, and serve to unite them into one unitary arm Whichis designated as a whole by 37. At the'forward end of the arm 37 is an aperture 38 through which passes a bolt 39 which serves as a pivot for the forked link 40. This link has its lower end extending through a bracket 41 on the rear end of the tongue.

42 is a coiled spring interposed between V the upper end of the link and the bracket 41.

43 is a cotter pin in-the lower end of the link 40 and serves to prevent the withdrawal of the link from the bracket 41. i

The bracket 35 is provided with an eye 44. 45 is a coiled spring engaging at its lower end with the eye 44 and at its upper end with an adjusting screw 46 which passes through a bracket 47 attached to the bar 25 near its upper end. By means of the nut 48 on the screw 46, the tension of the spring 45 may be adjusted. It will be noted that the action of the spring 45 tends to lift the forward frame of the machine. 1

Itwill be noted that the lever arm 21 lies in'substantially the same plane with the arm 37. At the rear end of the arm 31 is a foot lever 49 which is connected to the arm by jmeansof a pivot pin 50. This foot lever, is

provided at its rear end witha foot rest 49. The lever 49 is provided with a'socket which is adapted to receive the tapered rear end of the arm 31. This construction permits a certain amount of lost motion between the lever 49 and the arm 31.

A pocket 51 is provided at the side of the socket in the lever 49, and in this pocket 51 is located a coiled spring'52'which'engages with,

the rear end of the arm 31. Anaperture 53 .in the opposite side of the socket permits the insertion of the springin assembling. 7 It will 7 V be noted that. the action of the spring tends to lift the lever into its upper po'sition'relative to the arm. 7

The lever 49 is provided with a locking hookor catch 54 which is adapted to engage with suitable notches .55 formed at the side of the bracket 24. v V

The arm 30 extends upward in a plane substantially at right angles to theiplane of the arm 37. At the upper end of this arm is a foot lever 56 similar to the lever 49 and having a foot rest 57. It is similarly connected to the arm 30 and the spring 58 tends to normally hold it in its rearmost position relative to the arm 30. The lever 56 is provided with a locking hook or catch 59 which is adapted to engage with a locking lug 60 formed at the side of the breacket 24.

It will be noted that a pressure of the drivers foot on either of the foot rests 49 or 57 will not only unlock the lever from the lug or notch with which it may be engaged, but will also adjust the positions of the planter frames. In operation simultaneous pressure on both of the foot rests will en- .tirely unlock the lever system and permit the free"movement of the frames. The frames can be adjusted for any desired depth of planting, and when this adjustmenthas been reached, theremoval of pressure from the foot rest 49 will permit the automatic engagement of the catch 54 with one ofthe notches 55. g

When it is desired to lift the runners to inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 2, either for transportation of the machine from place. to place, or at the end of the row to permit turning the machine, a simple pressure on the footrest 49 will not only unlock the two'frames, but willalso move the forward frame to lift the plantingmechmove the planting mechanisms into operative position, a pressureon the foot rest 57 will unlock the f ames and will also serve to force the furrow openersinto' the ground. lhis downward movement of the forward frame may of course be retarded or con trolled by means of the other footlever, and

when the proper positionhas beenreached,

the hook 5% will automatically engagethe the driver will be able to determine which notch the hook 5 1 shouldengage with for the proper depth of planting under a given set of conditions, and will be able to quickly bring the mechanism into this position.

T he seat is so positioned that the weight of the driver can be utilized to cooperate with the levers in effecting the movements of the frames, and the levers are so positioned in respect to the vibrating frame and to the seat, that the operator, when his weight is exerting its utmost efficiency, shall have the least lever work to perform, it being merely necessary to release, with a slight foot movement, the lever 57, for thereupon the gravity of the tool frame and of the forward parts of the main frame begin to cause a down.- ward movement of the hinge axis. As the drivers seat comes forward he has an increasingly heavier abutment against which to thrust when pressing the tools into the ground. iAnCl. the parts are so related that when, the driver desires to lift the frames his lifting foot is in such position relative to the seat, to the vibrating main frame, and to the axis of the lever system that he can readily throw iis weight upon this footlever and effect such raising. As the rising of the overlapping parts of the. frames continues, the lifting footlever descends under the drivers thrust and, as shown in Fig; 2, all of the parts shift their relative positions in such way that both the weight of the driver, the spring and the foot lever mutually assist each other in bringing the heavy front frame bodily up to its highest position.

The space between the driver and the team is free of projections, such as hand-levers, and all of the parts are so situated that he is left free to control the locking, the unlocking, the lowering, the adiusting and the lifting, of the frames by his feet without mov ing them, respectively, from the rests or pedals upon which they are initially placed.

The natural movements of the drivers feet while he is in his seat are in vertical. planes, that is. forward and back or upward and down, and as the lever system, including the parts 37. 49, and 56, as a whole, moves in vertical planes, the connection interposed between that system and the tool, or runner,

frame can be made directly by such flexible union devices as those at it), 4:1 and 4C3, toi the front frame without requiring any intervening, translating or direction changing devices. i r r I as the main frame rises or falls, the lever system rises or falls with it; but inasmuch as the driver applies the power, in one di rection or the other, to this lever system at one or the other of only two points, provided for his feet, these points can be held substantially constant,* in relation to the driver, notwithstanding the frequent move- )ro oer notch 55. With a ver little )ract1ce v y ments of the frames. I

The two sets of locking devices, those at 59, 60, on the one hand, and those at 55, on the other, are independent of each other. One is released by one ofthe levers when moving in one direction, and the other by the other lever when moving in the opposite direction.

The tension of the spring 4:5 should be adjusted so as to largely compensate for the tendency of the forward frame to move downward under the action of gravity. With the spring 45 properly adjusted, the adjustment and control of the planter may be effected with very little effort on the part of the driver.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a mechanism for shifting vertically, and locking, the eartlrworking tools of agricultural implements, the combination of a rear wheel-mounted frame carrying a seat and a front tool-carrying frame pivoted together and vibrating vertically in opposite directions, around an aXis normally movable downward under the gravity of the frames, a vertically vibratable footlever system carried by the main frame and movable bodily vertically therewith and flexibly connected to the tool-carrvingframe for lifting. lowering and adjusting the latter, two independent sets of locking devices, one of said sets locking the frames in their uppermost positions only, and two power-applying leverlike devices in said system, respectively accessible to the feet of the driver, one for both unlocking said system and pushing down the tools into the earth and the other for both. unlocking said system and elevating both the frames to inoperative positions.

In a mechanism for shifting, vertically, and locking, the earth-working tools of agricultural implements, the combination of a rear wheel-mounted frame carrying a drivers seat and a front tool carrving frame pivoted together and vibrating in opposite directions. on an axis normally free to move downward at all working points of the frames, a foot lever system? carried by the main frame and flexibly connected to the tool-carrying frame for lifting, loweringframes locked in one relationonly, to Wit,

in one direction from either'of several positions corresponding ,to Working positions of the tools, and two power-annlylng lever-like .devices in said system respectively accessible 7 to the feet of the driver While in said seat, one for releasing the first said lock and per- 10 mitting the tool frame to be lowered to either of several Working positions,- and the other for releasing the second afore-' said lock and elevating both the franies to their uppermost inoperativepositlons.

In testirnon3 whereof I afi'ixmysigna-ture,

in presence of two Witnesses.

Copies of this patent inay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents,

I Washington, D. G. V 

